A Lonely Light
by Cherri Snow
Summary: A once lonely light had become so accustomed to company that it had forgotten how to cope with the loneliness that was reintroduced to it. It grows weaker as the other grows stronger. They had lost the balance they once kept. KiKuro oneshot. Second part of the 'Light Series'. The previous part does not have to be read to understand this story. Rated T for kissing.


**A Lonely Light**

_A once lonely light had become so accustomed to company that it had forgotten how to cope with the loneliness that was reintroduced to it. It grows weaker as the other grows stronger. They had lost the balance they once kept._

**Note: This is part two of the 'Light Series'. It is not necessary to read the previous part, "A Hidden Light", to understand this story.**

* * *

"Kurokocchi! Have you seen it yet?" Kise held up a magazine to Kuroko's face proudly. The very blond posed on the front cover, stretched out on his back in a bed of roses with a heart-melting smile and a rose held out. "This is from the photo shoot last Saturday!"

"You look flashy as always, Kise-kun," Kuroko said after one brief look, already recognizing it. He would never admit it, but he had always bought all of the magazines that Kise appeared in, even if it was just a small interview.

"That's it?" Kise pouted. "I was thinking about you when they took this picture, you know? Ever since we started dating, I've been getting more attention since apparently my expressions are getting warmer. I don't really get it, though."

Kuroko reached up and petted Kise's head, ruffling his hair just a bit. A look of adoration gleamed in his eyes.

"Geez, Kurokocchi... You're treating me like a dog again..." Kise feigned a frown unconvincingly.

"It's because you remind me of a dog." Kuroko paused in thought. "No, a puppy would be more accurate."

"Does that mean you think I'm cute?" Kise blinked with wide eyes in an attempt to look cute.

"I was thinking more of _simple_like a puppy," Kuroko replied bluntly.

"So mean!" Kise whined.

"But I suppose you're cute like a puppy, too." Kuroko pulled Kise down and stood on tiptoe to press a brief kiss onto Kise's lips.

"Wan wan!" Kise barked playfully in response.

"Isn't it about time for you to go to an interview?" Kuroko asked, glancing at his watch.

"Ahhh, you're right! Shoot, I'm going to be late!" Kise quickly gathered his things then pecked Kuroko on the lips. "I'll call you tonight! Bye-bye, Kurokocchi!"

"Good luck on your photo shoot, Kise-kun." Kuroko waved as Kise's running figure quickly disappeared in the distance. It was a bit lonely now that Kise was always busy with his model work, but it couldn't be helped. Kuroko knew that despite Kise's carefree attitude, he was actually very serious about his work. Modeling was just as important to him as Kuroko or basketball was.

The less tolerable side was the fangirls. Kuroko was fully aware that Kise had to keep up his reputation with the fans for the sake of his work, but he still didn't like seeing all those girls trying to catch Kise's attention with presents or shorter skirts. Despite Kuroko's usual neutralness, he was actually quite the jealous type. But, at the same time, so was Kise; Kuroko was just the less open one about it.

Regardless though, Kuroko knew he was well loved by Kise. Whenever they were together Kise doted on him endlessly, doing everything he could to make sure Kuroko knew that he was the single most important person to him in the world. And then when they were apart, Kise would call him, talking a thousand words per minute. For the common occasions that Kise _couldn't_call him he sent pointless emoticon-stuffed texts that always ended with "I love you, Kurokocchi!" and an emoticon throwing hearts. Kuroko rarely replied, but he saved all of the texts and often looked through them at night before going to sleep.

Besides, Kise had never put his work actually _over_Kuroko. He always scheduled dates and work carefully so that they would never interrupt the other and Kuroko appreciated it greatly. So, Kuroko had no right to complain. What was a little bit less time together when Kise was trying so hard to make it up to him?

* * *

Things changed dramatically when Kise got casted to play a supporting character in a drama. The only times they could meet were at school during practice or during lunch (which, even then they were rarely alone because of Kise's fangirls). Kise called every night, but was always so exhausted from filming on top of practice that the calls ended within minutes.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise said as soon as Kuroko picked up the phone.

"Good evening, Kise-kun. How was work?" Kuroko replied, the same words as always.

"Exhausting, but fun. More importantly, I have next Sunday off and the director gave me a pair of free movie tickets for that one new movie you wanted to see. Are you free?"

"Sure. What time?"

"The movie starts at one, so how does meeting up at the station at noon sound? We can get something to eat beforehand."

"Sounds fine. I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too! Ah, I'm barely able to keep my eyes open so I'm going to have to go now..."

"Alright. I'll see you on Sunday, then."

"Yep! Good night, Kurokocchi! I love you!"

"Good night, Kise-kun. I love you too." Kuroko hit the 'end call' button. Finally they'd be able to go on a date, the first one in nearly three weeks. Kuroko wasn't one to normally get excited over things, but the weeks apart from each other had made even him feel a bit eager. He was looking forward to Sunday.

* * *

Kuroko looked at the station clock, then at his watch. It was already fifteen minutes past noon and Kise was nowhere to be found. It was strange for him to be late. There was no doubt that Kise was just as eager to see Kuroko as Kuroko was to see him, and normally Kise would come up to an hour early out of sheer anxiousness.

Kuroko shielded his eyes from the sun with a hand. Sweat trickled down the nape of his neck.

"So hot..." Kuroko mumbled and leaned against the pole beside him to hold his balance. The heat was making him dizzy.

"Kurokocchi! Sorry for the wait!" Kise came running and waving from the distance.

Kuroko pushed himself off the pole. Suddenly, he felt his head go light and he was falling, vision spinning and going black. The last thing he heard was Kise's voice calling his name.

* * *

Kuroko awoke to a white ceiling and the smell of anti-bacterial cleanliness. 'The hospital…? Why am I here?' Kuroko furrowed his eyebrows in concentrated thought. He remembered waiting at the station for Kise and it was so hot that he was feeling dizzy… 'Ah. I must've fainted.'

He turned his head and found Kise's head resting beside him on the bed, face turned towards him as he slept. It was easy to tell, based on the redness of the skin around his eyes, that he had cried himself to sleep. Kuroko's right hand was clutched tightly in Kise's.

'He really is just like a child sometimes.' Kuroko chuckled and brushed the blond's bangs aside gently with his free hand. The soft touch was all it took to wake him. Kise squeezed his eyes, then slowly opened them to see Kuroko's own blue eyes gazing at him warmly.

"Kurokocchi! You're awake!" Kise shot up as if an alarm was sounded. "How are you feeling? Are you lightheaded? Thirsty?"

"I can use some water, yes." Kuroko slowly eased himself up to sit upright.

"Hold on; I'll pour you some." Kise carefully poured ice water from the pitcher on the table into a glass cup. Kuroko accepted the cup gratefully and brought it to his lips.

"Thank you." Kuroko passed back the cup when he was finished. Kise placed it on the table beside the pitcher then leaned towards Kuroko.

"I'm so sorry, Kurokocchi. I really am." Tears began to bead at Kise's eyes. "The old lady who lives next door wouldn't let me leave... I should've just left anyway. I knew it was hot but the possibility of you fainting from the heat didn't even cross my mind. Plus it was our precious one day together. I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, Kise-kun. I'm fine. I was equally at fault; I should've waited under the shade." Kuroko wiped the tears away with a finger. "And the point is that you're here with me now. The place doesn't matter to me."

"I was so scared. You fainted right when I got there, _right_in front of me, and then you didn't wake up no matter how many times I called you." Kise scooped Kuroko's hand into his again and brought it to his face. He squeezed it tightly and Kuroko could feel him trembling. "I was so afraid that you'd never wake up."

"It's okay, Kise-kun," Kuroko repeated in a soothing tone. "Don't worry; I'm right here."

"Promise me, Kurokocchi. Promise me that you won't ever scare me like that again." Kise's eyes were large and desperate. He looked so vulnerable, as if a single wrong word would break him. "Promise me that you won't leave me."

"I promise. In return, you have to promise too." Kuroko smiled reassuringly.

"I promise. I can't live without you, Kurokocchi. You mean everything to me." Kise pressed a shaky kiss to the back of Kuroko's hand.

"Me too." Kuroko pulled Kise towards him in a hug. Kise clung to Kuroko's shirt and sobbed into his shoulder. Kuroko simply rubbed his back in slow arcs and whispered, "shhhh..."

When Kise's sobs had finally reduced to mere sniffles, he pulled away. He wiped his tear stained face with the bank of his hand and forced a smile. "You have such a crybaby for a boyfriend, you know that, Kurokocchi?"

"I'm well aware of it. My boyfriend is also extremely clingy and can't do anything by himself," Kuroko commented.

"So mean!" Kise winced.

"He's also the most loving, considerate, adorable boyfriend I could ask for and I love him more than anyone in the world." Kuroko pecked Kise's lips lightly. Kise grinned and returned the kiss, longer and deeper.

Kuroko quickly noticed that Kise tasted salty. He licked Kise's lips, cleaning the remnants of his tears. Kise bit Kuroko's bottom lip, gently encouraging him to open his mouth. Kuroko happily complied and allowed Kise to slide his tongue in.

Kuroko loved Kise's kisses. He was slow and gentle, savoring the taste that was uniquely Kuroko and taking his time to explore the already familiar cavern. He made Kuroko feel like he was being treasured, like he really was the most precious thing to him and would easily give anything and everything in exchange for keeping him. They were assuring.

Panting and faces equally flushed, they broke apart when they could do without air any longer. Now it was Kuroko's turned to lean against Kise. He felt truly content. Nothing could compare to the happiness, the complete bliss, he felt when he was with Kise. He still wondered what someone as amazing as Kise saw in someone as plain as Kuroko, but he learned to just accept it. Kise loved him and Kuroko loved Kise back. That was all that mattered. It was okay if they couldn't be together all the time, or even most of the time. The moments that they _were_ together made it all worth it.

* * *

**That concludes "A Lonely Light", the second part of the 'Light Series'! It was a bit shorter than the previous story, but I'd like to think this is a bit more satisfying on the fluff factor.**

**I actually wrote this entirely on my phone so please excuse the mistakes. I went back to fix the things I noticed, but I'm sure I missed something. Writing on my phone made it a pain to revise, but I'm happy with the final product! I ended up going on a different path towards the end since my initially intended ending started to feel like it would just be stretching it out too far.**

**Once again, thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! Reviews would be great but I'm already plenty grateful that you read it!**


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